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Management of Development Organizations

Miriam College Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf


Submitted by: Andrea Marie Domaoan Maria Raphaela Pilar Maria Farina Kim Santos

INSTITUTION PROFILE:

Name of the organization/office/unit Miriam College Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf Age of the organization/office/unit As SAID, 38 years; As MC-SAID 4 years General location(s) Miriam College Brief description of its vision, mission and goals (VMG) MC-SAID is a special school that is intended to cultivate deaf Filipinos in par with ordinary students. It is orientated towards maximizing the students potential and to help them strive for academic, social, cultural, and vocational competence regardless of their handicap. It aims to improve the students knowledge and skills so that they can attain quality life. MC-SAID also hones their students as committed Christians through living their moral principles with conviction while respecting other people. Number of people employed 21 all in all: 14 teachers, 5 staffs including the administrators, 1 councilor and student-wellness assistant Other background information deemed relevant MC-SAID used to an independent institution from Miriam College. It was founded in 1974 by a group of parents who were looking for an alternative way for children with sickness to learn. It was once a school in Cubao, then moved to Dapitan, eventually they asked the Maryknoll sisters if they would be willing enough to give a piece of land to the foundation. Luckily, in 2007, the Board of Trustees of Miriam College approved the proposal that the SAID should be an official part of the school, and so it was called MC-SAID. Currently, MC-SAID has 73 students from pre-school to high-school with 2 full scholar students and a handful of partial scholar students. Each level has one class, and one class has an average of 11 students. Its main philosophy is total communication.

INTERVIEWEE PROFILE:

Name Miss Clarigel Cadiz Sex Female Position in the organization/office/unit Assistant Principal Number of years in the organization/office/unit 13 years Nature of work in the organization/office/unit The Nature of work is mostly academic because MC-SAID is a regular school for hearing impaired students; it is also partly an office-type of work because it has an office that plans, decides, monitors, and looks after the programs and activities of the school. Other background information deemed relevant This is Miss Cadizs first and only job since she graduated from the University of the Philippines. She trained for the special language that they are using for 3 weeks.

KEY AREAS/ QUESTIONS:

[1]Describe a typical day of the organization/office/unit -probe into the mood/atmosphere -probe into the causes of tension and how they are dealt with -probe into the expressions joys & light moments

MC-SAID is an institution at the back of the main college building of Miriam College. The atmosphere is light and inviting, its as if all the good vibes are in this institution. Most of the time, all you can hear are the wind, the leaves of the trees rubbing with each other, the clanking of pens, footsteps, and your own breathing. But sometimes, it is accompanied with echoes of childrens and adults laughter and their conversations. Being only comprised of a small-sized staff, everyday in MC-SAID is a multi-tasking day. Teachers and staff share each others work. Miss Cadiz, the assistant principal, can also be at times the one entertaining normal or special guests. But aside from that, basically, a typical day in MC-SAID is like every other day. There is nothing really special, and the teachers and students all go through their daily routine and daily schedule, sometimes sharing tasks, laughter, and stories. In fact, everyday in this institution is documented. The teachers and staffs document what they did during the day to make sure that every other teacher and staff will be aware of each and everyones work. But despite this rigidity of schedule, everyday is always a lot of fun and no one notices the somehow strict nature of the institution because of the students and joy that is being felt when interacting with them. MC-SAID is an institution that is hugely expressive. Along with big gestures, their happy moments are always spent laughing together. But like many other institutions, tensions and misunderstandings can also arise. As in the words of Miss Cadiz,

Wala pa namang major conflicts, pero since everything is so welldocumented and maliit lang din yung staff, hindi maiiwasan yung maliliit na hindi pagkakaintindihian sa mga hatian ng tasks, we are also human...

But the teachers and staffs should always know what is least expected of them. In order to resolve tensions, the institution always makes it a point to maintain an open channel of communication in their hierarchical structure of top to the bottom to the students. Also, staffs and teachers avoid having long-time conflicts with each other through immediately confronting and politely telling the problem.

[2]What do you like most about working in the organization/office/unit? Why?

For Miss Cadiz, its not about the individual things about the institution that should be loved. Instead, it is the whole institution itself that should be loved. She thinks of it as her second family; it is also here that she began to find herself, therefore allowing her to like everything in the workplace. She loves how small the staff is, therefore making them more comfortable and open with each other. She loves the teachers and staffs, because she knows they can trust them. She loves the place, because they dont dictate what each other should do. Another good thing in their organization is how they make decisions in their office. According to Miss Cadiz, as much as possible, they empower their staffs and faculties so that at certain times, they can make decisions on their own. For example, when a parent will ask the cashier the rates of the tuition fee, of course, the cashier can freely give the rates to the parents without consulting the upper administration. But if that parent requests the cashier to give a student a special permit for examination and promises to pay the tuition next time, the cashier is not to make a decision. In short, MC-SAID makes it clear with their staffs which decisions can they freely make and which decisions should they need to contact the upper administrations. This kind of decision-empowering techniques, allows Miss Cadiz to trust more their staffs.

[3]What do you like least about working in the organization/office/unit? Why?

By loving the institution whole-heartedly, she began to appreciate all its workings and processes. When we asked her about what did she like the least in the institution, she finds it really hard to answer, and after some time, she gave an answer that doesnt involve people. What she finds the least to be loved in the institution is the fact that she have to choose between responsibilities and sometimes, letting go of staffs.

Sa dami ng hats na sinusuot ko, may mga times na you have to let go of some tasks, kahit interesting siya, and you have to assign others to fulfill that task ... there are times na may other responsibilities din ako sa ibang office na hinahawakan so hindi ko talaga siya natututukan.

The disappointment that she cant really finish all the jobs that were assigned to her and the displeasure brought by giving those tasks to other person is what Miss Cadiz like the least about the institution. For her, it is a kind of frustration does not only burdens other people but also burdens herself for passing certain tasks to other people even though she likes working in it. Because MC-SAID is only a small institution, the overload of work for herself and for other people is the thing that she likes the least.

[4]What values and beliefs of the organization/office/unit are most prominent in its everyday work? Ask for examples of how these values and beliefs are expressed?

For values, the most prominent are respect and open communication. As an institution that caters to hearing-impaired students, MC-SAID always make it a point to appreciate and recognize each other and open every channel of communication available. Miss Cadiz also took note of the different values that they have adopted in assimilating with Miriam College that are slowly dominating their everyday lives. For example, since being formally being part of Miriam College, MC-SAID began to be

more conscious of the environment and the atmosphere of being in one community with others.

Their values are practiced everyday through their interaction with one another. MC-SAID trained its teachers, staffs, and students, for an average span of 3 weeks in order to learn a language that all of them can understand, in short, the sign language. Also, through their

interaction with one another, they try to respect and understand each other carefully as to avoid tensions and misunderstandings. As for the beliefs, the most prominent is the belief of spiritual development. This belief has made MC-SAID strengthen all of its values. Being part of a Catholic system, the institution began to also adhere to catholic values and traditions like praying and thanking God for everyday. The belief to spiritual development is practiced through the praying of each class during every subject and the appreciation of Gods work through each individual and the environment. They are also being taught religion classes that strengthen their spiritual development.

[5]What values and beliefs of the organization/office/unit do you think need to be more prominent in its everyday work? Why?

Sa totoo lang, lahat ng values.

Miss Cadiz doesnt specify one or two values and beliefs that she thinks should be strengthen the most in their everyday work. For her, all the values should be prominent and as much as possible visible in their everyday work since MC-SAID is not a regular school. For her, MC-SAID should not be discerning of what values should come first and last, or what values should be prominent in this area or on that area, because values for her are immeasurable and cant be competed against one another. All the staffs and faculty should just try to live up on what is expected of them in order to reach their full potential. And by reaching their full potential, Miss Cadiz hopefully wishes to also strengthen all the old values and beliefs that they have since the beginning and all the new values and beliefs that they are adopting from Miriam College.

[6]How would you describe the culture of the organization/office/unit?

Aside from the very discreet everyday routine that they are adhering to, Miss Cadiz finds the culture of MC-SAID as one that is currently in the process of change. For Miss Cadiz, MCSAID is still in that process of adopting Miriam College values and beliefs, as well as reforming

its former structures in order to align in the curriculum and course of action of Miriam College. As for the process of undergoing change, Miss Cadiz emphasizes that its not really a grand cultural change, but only an adoptional change. Meaning, they dont really have to start from scratch or change all the procedures and workings in SAID, but they only have to accept some values and beliefs of Miriam College in order to implement more strategic programs and activities. For example, in the past, when they are still not part of Miriam College, they dont usually appreciate the environment, but now, they have to observe proper recycling measures and avoid balloons and other things prohibited by Miriam College. Also, although the culture of MC-SAID is currently in the process of change, Miss Cadiz believes that since the very beginning they believe in the importance of total communication. If there is one thing that will define their organization, it is realizing that communication is the most important tool not only in the confines of Miriam College, but also outside of it. As a special school that caters to hearing-impaired students, MC-SAID pays particular attention to communication; they make sure that their students are well-communicated and can voice out their opinion well, also, they make it a point that there should be a clear line of communication with each of the students and from the students to the teachers.

[7]If the is something that you could change in your organization/office/unit what would it be?

Since it was mentioned earlier that the culture of MC-SAID is still in the process of change, Miss Cadiz can only hope that they can successfully align their current system with the Miriam college system. It means changing not only certain values and beliefs but also things like administrative process and ranking systems in grading. For them, bringing together SAIDS system and Miriam Colleges system can mean a lot to their institution. Therefore, they are really pushing things to an extent and making excellent strides in order to parallel the two systems together. They believe that by changing their system, they are also increasing the opportunity for the staffs and students together to hone their potentials and skills.

Miss Cadiz also said that currently, they are much focused on this particular changing process and said that,

kasabay ng unti-unti naming pagbabago, yung mga bagay na hindi naming napapansin nagdudulot ng hindi maganda, ay sana nagbabago din.

With this, Miss Cadiz is also addressing those behaviours and values in their system that they are unaware of, to also undergo change. If there is something that Miss Cadiz wants to change the most, it is the bad things that hinder their development in achieving a successful realigning of their system with that of Miriam College; for her, it is those behaviours and values that you are unaware of that can greatly affect an institution.

[8]Parting shots

At the rate of 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, Miss Cadiz proudly answered that if she would rank herself on how happy she is in working with MC-SAID, it would be a perfect score of 5. Miss Cadiz found her happiness in teaching hearing-impaired students. She said her work is fulfilling because it does not only allow herself to engage with other people and learn, but it also allow her to have a sense of satisfaction that can only come from the hearingimpaired students. Aside from that, the institution also gives them the benefit of being free to make decisions, of being able to voice out their own opinions without discrimination, and of being able to share an intimate and close bond with a group of people. For Miss Cadiz, MC-SAID is her second family, it is an institution where she knows that she belongs.

Reflection The Miriam College-Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf is an institution that presents itself as adaptive and dynamic. Throughout the years of its operation, it has been adjusting to every situation that comes along their way including financial and administrative challenges. And just like what our interviewee, Miss Cadiz, had told us, the organization and its people developed a mechanism that enabled them to be adaptable to change. One good example is the on-going structural adjustment that the institution has been dealing with since 2007; wherein SAID, from being an outside institution was adopted by Miriam College and became part of their management. After conducting the interview with the assistant principal, we were able to know more about organizations, their nature, how they cope with problems, and how they change. The interview showed the importance of the different factors in the organizations culture and organizational change that were discussed during the previous classes. As a new organization under Miriam College, it was mentioned that SAID is still trying to cope with the present values and culture of the school. Even though the organization was formerly an independent institution, with their own beliefs and values, they still needed to learn how to cope with their new environment. We think that the reason why they need to re-align their system as consistent with the values and beliefs of Miriam College is in order for their organization to survive. It was also mentioned in the interview that each year they are trying to align a specific portion of the structure of their organization with a specific belief or value of Miriam College. This implies that the organization is looking at the best way for their organization to cope with the new environment so that the organization can perform effectively in the new environment.

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